19,1 million and 4,4 million: the disparity between salaries in Uzbekistan...

In Uzbekistan, the average monthly nominal salary reached 7 million 91 thousand soums in the first half of 2026. This represents an 18.4 percent increase compared with the same period last year. However, the overall figure conceals a sharp disparity between sectors: the average salary in the financial sector is more than 4 times higher than in healthcare.

The data cover January–June 2026. Therefore, this is a ranking based on the results of the first half of the year, not the year-end results.

The highest salaries are still in finance

The average calculated monthly salary of employees in banking, insurance, leasing, lending and financial intermediation amounted to 19.1 million soums. This is nearly 2.7 times higher than the national average.

The information and communications sector ranked second, at 17.4 million soums. Transport and storage came third, with 11.07 million soums. Salaries in logistics rose by 22.8 percent in one year, recording one of the highest growth rates among the main sectors.

The figures in the table have been rounded. Some official statistical tables break the sectors down into more specific types of activities.

Are the highest salaries not actually paid to bankers?

Finance ranks first as an overall sector. However, when its internal areas are considered separately, the highest figure was recorded in insurance and reinsurance activities—an average of 26 million soums per month.

The average salary in ancillary services for finance and insurance was 24.9 million soums, while in programming and other IT fields it was around 22.23 million soums. Thus, the average for the broad sector does not fully reflect some of the high-income professions within it.

The gap with healthcare reached 14.7 million soums

The average figure of 19.1 million soums in finance is approximately 4.3 times higher than the 4.4 million soum salary in healthcare. The monthly nominal gap between the two sectors amounts to 14.7 million soums.

The average salary in education was nearly 5 million soums, approximately 30 percent below the national average. In healthcare, salaries amounted to 62 percent of the national average.

At the same time, it would be incorrect to conclude that there has been no growth in the social sectors. Over one year, salaries in education increased by 20.3 percent, while those in healthcare and social services rose by 20.1 percent. However, because their starting levels were low, the absolute gap with finance and IT remains substantial.

“5 million in education” does not apply to all teachers

There is also a sharp disparity within the education sector itself. In the first half of 2026, the average calculated salary in higher education amounted to 12.05 million soums, while it was 5.37 million soums in technical and vocational education and 4.67 million soums in general secondary education.

In preschool education, the average figure was 2.72 million soums. As a result, the gap between the salaries of higher education and preschool education employees reached 4.4 times.

Therefore, a single average figure for the sector does not fully reflect the actual situation in a particular profession, position or institution.

Why are finance and IT ahead?

The official report does not separately analyze all the reasons for the differences between salaries. However, several factors can be identified based on the characteristics of the sectors.

Finance and IT companies typically compete for skilled employees in both domestic and international labor markets. It is difficult to train specialists such as programmers, cybersecurity experts, actuaries, financial analysts or risk managers in a short period of time. Therefore, employers try to attract employees through high salaries, bonuses and additional benefits.

In education and healthcare, a large proportion of employees work in the budget system. Their salaries depend less on the revenue of an individual company and more on government tariff scales, position levels, qualification categories and budgetary capacity. This is an economic analysis based on differences in the structure of the sectors and in the statistics.

Salaries nearly doubled in five years

In Uzbekistan, the average nominal salary was 3.55 million soums in 2022. It reached 4.34 million in 2023, 5.1 million in 2024, 5.99 million in 2025 and 7.09 million soums in the first half of 2026. Thus, the nominal figure nearly doubled in less than five years.

The largest absolute increase was observed in information and communications, where the average salary has risen by 10.53 million soums since 2022. The increase in finance was 9.83 million soums, and in transport and storage it amounted to 6.44 million soums. The absolute increase in healthcare was 2.07 million soums, remaining the lowest figure among the main sectors.

However, nominal growth does not mean that an employee’s purchasing power increased by the same amount. Inflation and changes in daily expenses during the period must also be taken into account when assessing real income.

There is also a large gap between regions

In the first half of 2026, the highest average salary was recorded in the city of Tashkent—12.01 million soums. The figure was 8.72 million soums in Navoi Region and 6.68 million soums in Tashkent Region. The figures above the national average were formed mainly in the capital and Navoi Region.

The concentration of financial institutions, IT companies, head offices and highly paid management positions in the capital affects the overall average. In Navoi Region, large industrial and mining companies account for a significant share.

“Average salary” is not the amount received in hand

The figure in the statistics is the nominal calculated salary. It represents the amount calculated by the employer before taxes and other mandatory payments are withheld. Therefore, the 7.09 million soums shown in the table does not mean that exactly this amount is deposited into an employee’s bank card.

The data were compiled based on electronic reports from enterprises and organizations. Small businesses, microfirms, farms and agricultural entities were not fully covered. Therefore, the statistics primarily reflect the official salary situation in medium-sized and large organizations.

In addition, the average figure does not mean that all employees in the sector earn exactly this amount. A few highly paid managers and specialists may raise the overall average, while the majority of employees may earn less.

Salaries rose, but the main issue has not changed

In the first half of 2026, nominal salaries in Uzbekistan rose significantly. Strong demand and private-sector competition in finance, IT and transport are pushing salaries to a new level.

However, education and healthcare, which are of strategic importance to the economy and society, remain at the bottom of the ranking. Although their growth rates are high, the gap with the financial sector exceeds 4 times.

This disparity may have a long-term impact not only on employees’ incomes, but also on retaining qualified personnel in these sectors, attracting young specialists and the quality of public services.

In your opinion, which system would be effective in increasing salaries in education and healthcare more quickly? Leave your thoughts in the comments and share the article with your acquaintances on Telegram or other social networks!